Shanahan was credited with putting proper systems in place for player safety

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on Wednesday said that former NHL VP/Player Safety & Hockey Operations Brendan Shanahan, who became Maple Leafs President this week, "leaves a lasting legacy with his involvement with the league's player safety department, a position that did not exist until he took it on," according to Scott Burnside of ESPN.com. Bettman said, "What I like is that he created it. ... He put in place a series of systems, the department and personnel -- and I believe that we, through the creation of that department, have begun to effectuate a change in the culture of the game in terms of types of hits that are out of the game now." Bettman said that he "hasn't given any thought to who might replace Shanahan long term in the role." Meanwhile, Bettman said that the NHL and NHLPA have had "zero discussions about what the league's position is going to be moving forward" regarding Olympic participation (ESPN.com, 4/17). Bettman said, "From the moment we left Sochi, we have not given the Olympics any thought." Meanwhile, he said of plans for a hockey World Cup, "It's something we've repeatedly said we're interested in. We've been in discussion with the Players Association, which obviously is our partner in this. We have a pretty good idea of what we want to do. We're waiting for the PA to sign off" (TRIBLIVE.com, 4/16).

The NWSL is in the early stages of its second season, but its "long-term viability is uncertain," as women’s pro leagues in the U.S. "can’t draw fans, either at live events or on television, the way men’s leagues can," according to Juliet Macur of the N.Y. TIMES. Progress for women's pro leagues "always seems to be inch by inch, if there is progress at all." If there are "marked strides, they seem to be made on the back of a men’s league." The WNBA "would probably not exist without the help of the NBA." U.S. soccer players "are doing their best to succeed on an international level while pushing for the new league to catch on with fans." The U.S. women's squad has not won a FIFA World Cup since '99, but NWSL Washington Spirit and U.S. MF Yael Averbuch said, "It’s going to take much more than a World Cup win for this league to be successful." Spirit Owner Bill Lynch said that having 3,000 fans at every game "would 'really make the team sustainable' but that reaching the number might take three to five years." Macur notes the Spirit "had about 2,300 at their home opener last week." The U.S. Soccer Federation "has never been more invested in the success of a women’s pro league." Each team "is anchored by national team players whose salaries are paid by the federation." But the "lasting edge the league has -- or should have -- over men’s pro leagues is that the athletes can appeal to young female athletes in ways men never can" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/18).